Projectile for firearms.



F. H. HARRISON & A. 1. BROWN.

PROJECTILE FOR FIREARMS. APPLICATION FILED Aue.27.1s1s.

nnw 1 9 1 Q0 1 m u d 9 t n 6 id 3 P UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS HENRY HARRISON AND ALEXANDER JAMES BROWN, 01 CALCUTTA, BRITISHIN'DIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FOURTH TO ARTHUR HENRY WALLIS, OF CATERHAM,

SURREY, ENGLAND, AND ONE-FOURTH T0 FREDERICK LLEWELLYN WALLIS, OF

SANDERSTEAD, SURREY, ENGLAND.

PROJECTILE FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lnlown that we, Framers HENRY HARRISON and ALEXANDER JAMES BROWN,both being subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperorof India, and both residing at 1 Mangoe Lane, Caloutta, British India,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles forFirearms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to projectiles for use with fire-arms, and inparticular to spherical, cylindrical or conical projectiles capable ofbeing used indiscriminately in fire-arms having 'cylindrical,full-choke, modified-choke, recessed-choke or rifledchoke barrels.

. comp Although hereinafter described and illustrated with referenceespecially to spherical projectiles, it will be apparent that theinvention is also applicable to cylindricallyshaped projectiles for usewith the specified classes of fire-arms; and, with obvious modificationssuch as thickening the material of the outer shell or the use of a metalharder than lead, it may be adapted for use with ordinary rifled arms.It is not intended, therefore, that the following description anddrawings should be considered as limiting the scope of the invention tothe use of spherically-shaped projectiles or to the use of sphericallyorcylindrically-shaped proj ectiles with smooth-bore arms only.

One object of this invention is to provide a projectile capable of beingcompressed on discharge, and which when of the spherical kind thereuponassumes a slightly elongated shape on its entry into the barrel from thecartridge chamber. The said compression and consequent elongation of aspherical projectile increases its bearing surface with in the bore-inexcess of that of a true sphere, thus preventing windage or the escapeof the explosive gases in advance of the projectile and so utilizing thewhole of the propellent force.

A projectile constructed according to'this invention is compressible byreason of the provision of a thin outer shell inclosing a bullet, anannular-space being left between the two, so that only the said outershell is ressed' and elongated during the passage of the projectilethrough the barrel.

The provision of an annular space between the bullet and its outer shellenables the attainment of another object of this invention which is thelubrication of the barrel. The said annular space is therefore filledwith bees-wax, tallow or other suitable lubricating material and, theouter shell being provided with two or more holes communicating with thesaid annular space, the lubricant is on compression of the outer shellextruded and spread upon the surface of the 'barrel. The said filling oflubricant may be relied on to maintain the bullet concentric with theouter shell, or the said outer shell may be provided with five or moreslender projections on its inner surface for that purpose.-

A further object of this invention is the provision of a projectilehaving a disruptive effect on animal tissues and bone by reason of itsdistortion on impact. This effect is obtained by the aforesaidconstruction of a projectile consisting of a bullet inclosed within anouter shell. In addition to this feature the bullet itself is a shellmade in two or more parts and containing a liquid, paste, amalgam orother non-solid or a granular substance which, while enhancing thedisruptive efl'ect of the projectile, may preferably be of such a natureas, for instance, an amalgam of mercury and lead, as to compensate, byits weight in excess of the weight of lead alone, for the voids in theprojectile, namely, space between the bullet and its outer shell, thelubricating holes in the outer shell, and the space between the capsuleand the inside surface of the bullet if and when the aforesaid liquid,paste, -amalgam or other non-solid or a granular substance is containedwithin such a capsule. Alternatively, the bullet may be cast or molded1n one piece and be provided with a hole through which the liquid,paste, amalgam or other non-solid or a granular substance may beinserted, the hole being afterward plugged.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings:Figure 1 is an elevation of theouter shell of the projectile showing its 4 form as cast or molded andbefore being vation of the complete projectile.

Fig. 3 isthe annular I r a section'al elevation showing the hemisolderedor burned one to the other.

spheres comprising the bullet as cast or molded and before being closed,and showing also a capsule contained within it. Fig. 4 is a section ofthe complete projectile taken on the line XX of Fig. 2.

The outer shell a of the projectile is cast or molded with onehemisphere complete as shown, the corresponding portion being composedof four or more partially separated segments 6 which, on beingcompressed together, combine to form a second hemisphere and completethe spherical projectile shown in Fig. 2. The segments 6 may be merelypressed together or may be brought together and their adjoining etllgles e shell a is of no greater thickness than will permit of partialcompression in the gun barrel without exerting any undue strain thereon,and is preferably but not necessarily made of pure lead, The bullet "0 dcontained within the outer shell a is cast or molded in two separatehemispheres 0 and (2, one having a slightly under-cut projection orcollar 6 by and around which the other hemisphere may be attached bycompression so that the two parts combine to form a complete sphere.This bullet c d is made of such anexternal diameter, as to leave anannular space 9 between it and the outer shell a when placed within it.

The annular space 9 .is filled with beeswax, tallow or other suitablelubricant of such a consistency as to maintain the bullet 0 (Zconcentric with the outer shell a. This concentricity may be furtherassured by the provision on the inner surface of a of slenderprojections 72.. On compression of the outer shell a during its passagethrough the gun barrel, the lubricant provided in the annular space 9 isextruded through two or more holes '5 in the shell a, thus lubricatingthe internal surface of the barrel.

Inclosed within the bullet c d is a thin metal or other capsule fcontaining a liquid,

,, 'paste, amalgam or other non-solid or a granular substance. If anamalgam be used,

one of mercury and lead in such proportions as to make a stifl pastymass is preferred. The capsule may be of extremely thin copper or othersuitable metal or material, and

v is used merely to prevent the mercury from amalgamating with thebullet. If the liquid, paste or other substance used contains no mercuryor other ingredient having a chemi; cal action on lead it may becontained in the bullet without the use of a capsule. I

The object of the inclusion of a liquid, paste, amalgam, 'or othernon-solid or a ranular substance within the bullet c (i -bemg, firstly,to add weight to the projectile and, secondly, to assist its distortionand the disruptive efi'ect, the substance used is of 66 suchconsistency. and the inclosing capsule,

taining a lead core occupying a portion only of its length from thebase, the remaining portion of its length, or that portion comprisingits conoidal end, being filled with a liquid, paste, amalgam, or othernon-solid or a granular substance, contained in a capsule or not as maybe necessary or desirable.

Having now fully described and ascertained our said invention and themanner in which it is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:

1. A spherically shaped projectile for use with fire arms comprising acompressible outer shell, a hollow bullet in said shell, an annularlayer of lubricating material between said outer shell and bullet, holesin said shell through which, on compression of the shell, the lubricantis extruded, readily collapsible projections on the inner surface ofsaid outer shell for maintaining the concentricity of said. bullet withsaid outer shell, substantially as described.

2. In a projectile of the type specified, a compressible outer shell, ahollow bullet in said shell, an annular layer of lubricating materialbetween said outer shell and bullet, holes in said shell through which,on compression of the shell, the lubricant is extruded, readilycollapsible projections on the inner surface of said outer shell formaintaining the concentricity of said bullet with said outer shell, anda substance of disruptive qualities contained in said bullet.

3. In a projectile of the type specified, a

compressible outer shell shaped soas to comtents of the projectile beingplaced within the said outer shell and adapted to be thereafter broughttogether to form an unbroken hemisphere in a spherical projectile, asubstance of disruptive qualities contained in said bullet, and aplurality of slender and readily collapsible projections spaced aroundthe inner surface of said outer shell.

4. A projectile of the character described comprising in combination anouter shell, partially separated segments 1 forming said shell, a bulletin said shell composed of two separate hemispheres, a slightly under-cutprojection or collar on one of said hemispheres allowing the attachmentof the other hemisphere, an annular space between said bullet and theouter shell, a lubricant in said space, means for maintaining'the bulletconcentrically within said outer shell, holes said shell allowing thelubricant to be extruded upon the compression of the outer shell duringits passage through the gun barrel, a thin metal capsule inclosed in.said bullet and a substance of disruptive qualities in said capsule forincreasing the weight of the projectile.

In testimony whereof We have signed this specification in the presenceof two witnesses.

FRANCIS HENRY HARRISON. ALEXANDER JAMES BROWN.

Witnesses:

A. R. GIBBS, C; TYSOE SMITH.

